Valley of the Kings
by janurabi
Summary: Part IV of the "Blood is Thicker" series. Mutant X is called in to investigate the theft of an Egyptian artifact, and uncover a plot to steal a mystical stone believed to exist only in myth. My homeage to Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Mummy. Please R&R.
1. I Dream of Egypt

Blood is Thicker Part IV 

Valley of the Kings

Plot Summary: Mutant X is called in to investigate the theft of an Egyptian artifact, and uncover a plot to steal mystical stone, believed to exist only in myth. This story takes place about a month after the events of "A Deadly Sin". Brennen/Shalimar relationship. It's probably a good idea to read the first three installments in order to be caught up with the characters. Any feedback, positive or negative is truly appreciated. My stories are gonna get a little more adventurous from now on, since I've already established Shalimar and Willow's relationship. To be honest, I'm looking forward to writing this one, because I love mythology. Enjoy! This story takes place a month after "A Deadly Sin". I took liberties with Egyptian history, timelines and mythology for creative purposes, so please don't linch me (lol).

Prologue

He sort of knew what he was looking for. The streets were full of merchants, bartering with tourists, while the heat was mind numbing. Slowly making his way through the crowded streets of Cairo, he glanced at a piece of paper.

He was a strikingly handsome man, blonde hair and deep blue eyes, unshaven and perspiring from the heat.

"Shit! Where the hell is it?" He said to himself. Glancing at his watch, he continued on through the crowd.

For several minutes, he wandered through the streets, desperately trying to find his destination. He looked upwards at a small sign hanging on the side of a building.

"Finally," he smiled to himself as he approached it.

Coming to the door, he knocked three times. A small slit opened, to reveal a pair of dark brown eyes staring him down.

"What's your business here?" came a voice from the other side.

"I'm looking for Napier," he answered.

The door opened to reveal a small dark haired man, smoking a cigar. "Professor Malone?" He nodded in response. "Follow me."

The small man led Malone through the smoke filled bar. Several people looked up from their drinks and to scrutinize the strange visitor. Malone looked around the area, his head almost exploding from the smell of marijuana. He was led down a dark hallway to a small room down at the end.

Several people were sitting, around a table playing cards. _Texas Hold'em_ Malone thought to himself.

"Ah, Mr. Malone. So kind of you to join us," a small man in glasses said as he looked up from his hand. "I require punctuality from all my employees, old and new. As you can understand my boss is a very impatient man."

"Many apologies. You're Napier I presume," Malone approached the table cautiously. "As you can appreciate, navigating through the streets of Cairo aren't an exact science."

The man inhaled his cigar. "Well no matter. I would think that an archeologist of your reputation would have no troubles. I take it this is your first time in Cairo."

Malone just continued to look at him, "So are we gonna deal or not?"

"Don't be so hasty, Malone. You'll get your money," Napier just stared at him, studying his eyes. "I take it your looting of the Egyptian Museum was successful. Breaking into a museum is not becoming of an archeologist."

"Desperate times. I need the money. My grant ran out and in order to continue my search for the Eye, I need the financial backing," Malone shifted in his seat, unsure of whether he was making the right decision.

"Money does make the world go round. Do you have the piece?" he asked, not taking his eye off his hand. "Raise." He threw in several chips.

"It's right here," Malone reached into his bag and pulled out a small stone carving.

"Fantastic. My boss will be pleased. And the location of the other three pieces?" Napier inquired.

"I'm still working on that," Malone was getting nervous. He knew that his clients weren't the patient kind. "The translation of the scroll is going slower than I intended. The hieroglyphics predate the first Dynasty."

"Time is a luxury Mr. Malone. A precious luxury you're running out of. I want the locations of the other three pieces in five days. No longer. Am I making myself clear?" he glared at Malone as he squirmed in his seat.

"Crystal. Can I ask you why your organization is so interested in finding the Eye?" Malone wasn't sure as to the intentions of his new employer.

"Same as you, Mr. Malone. Changing myth into history," Napier winked at him as he revealed his hand. The others just threw down their cards in disgust, as he took the pot. "And I always get what I want."

Chapter 1

I Dream of Egypt

_Sanctuary…_

Willow had been on the mend for several weeks now. She healed pretty quickly considering her leg was nearly shattered and that she suffered a concussion. Much to her dismay, she had to stay in Sanctuary to recover, while the others went out on missions. Basically, she was starting to climb the walls and itching to get back into action.

That morning, she was up early working out with Shalimar in the dojo.

"You're looking a lot more like your old self," Emma smiled watching the two.

"I feel like I could take on the entire GSA myself," Willow fainted left and lunged at Shalimar. She instinctively spun around, nailing Willow on the back, causing her to fall forward.

"Well, you're not gonna get very far fighting like that," Shalimar teased.

Willow huffed in frustration. Shalimar laughed and offered a hand. Willow quickly grabbed Shalimar's arm and moved around, pinning her arm behind her.

Willow chuckled. "First thing you taught me, Shal; never let your guard down."

"Clever. But…" Shalimar elbowed her in the gut and flipped her over. Willow landed on her back with a grinning Shalimar standing over top of her, "You forgot the second rule; never get cocky."

Emma sat back, amused at the playful exchange between the two.

"Morning everyone," Adam came in, just finishing his work in the lab.

"Hey Adam."

"Morning."

"Well Willow, looks like your feeling a lot better today," Adam smiled, approaching the dojo.

"Yeah, the migraines seemed to have stopped. I'm feeling much better," Willow sighed, coming down the stairs of the dojo.

"Great, I want you in the lab, so I can run some tests," Adam motioned for her to follow him. "Just want to make sure that your injuries have completely healed, so that you don't cause any more damage."

"Alright," Willow went to leave, but turned to Shalimar. "We're not done yet."

"Don't I know it," Shalimar winked as she watched Willow walk towards Adam.

"Hey Adam. There's a transmission coming through. It's coming from an Alexander DePaulo." Jesse shouted from the computer console.

Adam looked somewhat surprised and turned to Willow, "Just wait for me. I have to take this."

Willow went to the lab, while Emma joined Shalimar in the dojo for some exercises.

_Adam's Office…_

Adam sat down at his desk and activated his view screen. A balding man bearing a goatee and a rounded pair of glasses appeared and Adam smiled.

"Hello Adam. It's been a long time."

"Too long Alex. What do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

"Well, I wish the call was under more pleasurable circumstances, but I need your help."

Adam had a look of intrigue on his face. "What can I do for you?"

"Well as you know I've been working for the Egyptian Museum in Cairo for about ten years looking for rare antiquities. Turns out two nights ago, an unknown group broke into the museum and stole an exceptionally rare piece of Egyptian art."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What was it?"

"It was a tablet of magnificence. Truly unique and priceless. Until we unearthed it last year, nothing like it has ever been found." He held up a photo of the piece to the screen.

Adam stared at it, in awe that with all his knowledge in the subject, he had never seen the likes of it before.

"Exceptional, isn't it?"

"Were did your people find it?"

"In Abydos, in the Temple of Osiris. One of the project leaders was examining a stone sarcophagus we had just dug up. He found it inside one of the coffins on the inside next to an unidentifiable mummified body. Carbon dating discovered that the body pre-dates the First Egyptian Dynasty."

"I read about it in the papers. It was the oldest mummy found to date. Have you been able to decipher the hieroglyphics on it?"

"It was difficult, but we able to read part of it. It tells of a stone made of gold and a man named Tutak. The rest speaks of deserts and valleys, pretty vague."

"Any idea of who might have taken it?"

"Well one of the guards who came across the thieves seems to remember being levitated into the air. After that, he doesn't remember much. When I heard that, I thought of the possibility that it was a new mutant and I immediately sought you out. If new mutants are involved, I know that this is you're area."

"I understand."

"So when can you be here?"

_Several moments later…_

Adam had called everyone to a meeting. They all sat around waiting for him to join them.

"Any idea why Adam gathered us together?" Jesse asked anxious to get working on a computer project he had been planning for weeks.

"Maybe it has something to do with that call he got," Willow entered from the lab.

Just then Adam walked in. They all turned to him, anxious to find out what was going on. "Sorry to interrupt your morning exercises everyone, but something important has come up and I have offered our services."

"What's going on Adam?" Shalimar asked.

"Well, I just received a call from an old colleague of mine, Alexander DePaulo from back in the Genomex days. He now works for the Egyptian Museum in Cairo as the head archeologist."

Willow's ears perked up when she heard this.

"Anyways, a couple of days ago, a group of thieves broke into the museum and stole an extremely rare artifact. Alex has reason to believe that the act was carried out by a gang of new mutants."

"Why would new mutants wanna steal an old artifact?" Brennen inquired.

"Well that's why Alex called me. He figured we could help in his investigation. So basically, whatever plans you've made for the next few days, you'll have to put them on hold."

Willow could hardly contain herself. She was about to explode. "Oh my god! You don't mean…"

"Yep, pack your things, we're going to Cairo."

End of Chapter 1


	2. The Quest Begins

Chapter 2 

The Quest Begins

_The Faculty of Archeology…_

Frustration was beginning to set in. For several hours, Malone sat in a dark, misty room starting at the piece he acquired. Egyptology was never a real strong suit with him, but hearing the stories made this pursuit an irresistible draw.

"Any luck?" came a voice from a distance.

"I'm clueless. I mean the clues to the location of the next piece lie on this stone, but the characters…I…I can identify the symbols, but they're just random words. It doesn't make any sense," Malone stretched back in his chair.

"Maybe there's a key to deciphering the clues. Something we may have overlooked," a figure came out of the shadows; a raven-haired woman with emerald green eyes. She had a petite figure and was wearing a camouflage tank top and jeans.

Malone just sighed and shook his head. "Well, maybe, but right now, we're still stuck at square one. And the only way we're gonna get our money is if we can provide the other three pieces."

"I wouldn't worry too much just yet. Perhaps a solution will present itself," she assured him.

_The Egyptian Museum…_

"Wow! This is incredible! I can't believe I'm actually here!" Willow had been bug-eyed ever since they entered Egyptian, much to the amusement of the others.

"Look at her. She's just like a kid in a candy store," Shalimar just chuckled, as Brennen snuck up around behind her and put an arm around her.

"Yeah it's kinda cute," Brennen smiled.

"Can you believe this, Shal?" Willow came running up to them, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah, I'm all a tingle," Shalimar shared very little of her enthusiasm.

"Over 3,000 years of Egyptian history in one building! We totally have to check out King Tut's display," Willow was like a giddy schoolgirl.

"Willow, we're not here to sight see," Shalimar grabbed her arm.

"Aw come on, Shal. This is the first time I've ever been here and there's no reason why we can, you know, take in the experience while completing the mission," Willow reasoned. She made a puppy dog face at Shalimar and Brennen.

Shalimar ruffled her hair, "Maybe after. We'll see what Adam says. Right now we have to focus on catching these thieves."

"Yes," Willow said in victory.

"Alright, well according to the security cameras, there were five or six of them. Unfortunately, they knocked out the security system before they could get any accurate description of them," Adam approached the three of them.

"What exactly was the piece they took?" Brennen asked.

"It's quite something. It's a stone piece that was smoothed out and polished. But from I can make out from some of it's missing," Adam explained.

"Missing?" Willow inquired.

"Yeah, as if it was deliberate," Adam added.

"Like a puzzle," Shalimar looked at them all.

Adam nodded.

Willow thought for a moment, "Can I see it?"

"Follow me," Adam ushered them foreword.

_Museum lab…_

"Wow! Where was this found again?" Willow looked up at Adam and the others.

"Alex said they unearthed it in the Temple of Osiris in Abydos," Adam explained.

Willow sat back and thought for a moment, trying to remember all the books she had studied about Egyptology. "A stone of gold. Tutak, I've heard the name before, but there's very little known about him."

"Tutak was an ambitious man," a voice interrupted.

They all turned to the voice. "Everyone, this is my associate, Alexander DePaulo. Alex I want you to meet my team, Shalimar Fox, Brennen Mulwray, Emma DeLauro, Jesse Kilmartin and Willow Fox."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Alex nodded to them all. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Willow stood up. "I've to say this place is quite something."

"You have a passion for history?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. It's been a hobby of mine for quite sometime," Willow nodded. "Tutak, I remember hearing a story about him somewhere. There's not much on him, but considering he was cursed, it's not surprising."

"Very good. Originally, the gods smiled upon him. They wanted him to lead the people into some kind of Utopia and unite the world under Egyptian rule," DePaulo added. "According to the myth, they presented him with an extraordinary gift, a mystical stone made of pure gold."

Willow perked up when she heard this, "The Eye of Osiris."

"My, my. You do know your stuff little one. Yes, the myth says that the Eye possessed the power to control the four elements; earth, air, water and fire. Naturally would be considered to be the most powerful weapon of the ancient world."

They all looked at each other, while Alex continued with his story, "He used this weapon to conquer most of Africa and part of Europe. But he became mad with the power bestowed upon him. It was in Temple of Osiris that he proclaimed himself supreme god, more powerful than the god Osiris himself."

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," Adam interrupted.

"Indeed. It was then that the gods had no choice but to intervene. Four gods, Osiris, his queen Isis, their son Horus and Ra, appeared before him in the temple and relieved him of the Eye. They executed a horrible punishment on him. They cut out his eyes and tongue and mummified him alive. It was said they destroyed the Eye for fear that someday, it would fall into the wrong hands again."

Adam looked at Alex and the others. "How can we be sure it was destroyed?"

"Well, that's a good question. However, it's just a myth. There's no proof that the Eye even existed," Alex looked at Adam, unsure as to what he was thinking.

"But you might have had the proof right in front of your eyes," Adam held up the photo.

"Even if it did exist, but didn't have the powers the myth talked about, it would be priceless," Willow added.

"Worth breaking into a museum for," Emma jumped in.

"You think these people are after the Eye?" DePaulo asked.

"It would definitely be a possibility," Adam answered.

_The Faculty of Archeology…_

"This is just so damned frustrating," Malone huffed. "Carmen, I don't know if this will be possible."

"We have to keep trying, our friends are starting to get restless," Carmen replied.

"We have some news from our spy cables. Apparently, DePaulo called in a team to help in the investigation. According to my source, they're led by Adam Kane," Napier walked in interrupting their conversation.

"The Adam Kane? The genetic genius? The father of new mutants," Malone recalled the name from his college days. "If they figure out what we're doing, it could ruin everything."

"Relax Mr. Malone. Try to turn a negative into a positive. If they figure out what we're looking for, it could be turned to our advantage," Napier smirked at Carmen and Malone.

"Your thinking they would try to beat us to the punch, lead us to the Eye," Malone caught his drift.

"Exactly, we're gonna have to keep an eye on our new friends. They could be the key to making our mission a success," Napier smiled and left.

End of Chapter 2


	3. The Game's Afoot

Chapter 3 

The Game's Afoot

_The Egyptian Museum…_

Shalimar entered the lab were Willow continued to study the photograph, while Jesse and Brennen were in the Helix trying to use whatever film footage they had. Adam was off with Alex and Emma, interviewing people after Jesse had suggested that there could've been someone working with the thieves on the inside. "Any luck?"

"No, There's no clues, nothing on here to go by. Nothing but random words; ravens, deserts, naos, temples. In Egypt, that's as vague as it gets," Willow had become clearly frustrated.

"There's gotta be something. I mean obviously it's a puzzle of some kind. You're always solving crosswords and cryptoquotes, surely you can come up with something," Shalimar sat down next to her.

Willow turned to Shalimar, as if a light went off in her head, "What did you say?"

Shalimar just looked at her in a confused manner, "What? Crosswords and cryptoquotes."

"Of course!" Willow jumped out of her seat and kissed Shalimar. "You're a genius, Shal!"

Shalimar just remained in the dark, "Why? What did I say?"

"I can't believe I didn't think of it before. It could be like a cryptoquote, the letters are random, so you use a key to pick out certain letters to form a word or sentence. In this case, it words. Let's go." Willow got up with Shalimar right behind her.

Outside the museum… 

"I don't think this is such a good idea," Tuck shifted in his seat behind Malone and Carmen, while they sat outside the museum in a small van. "I mean coming back to the scene of the crime, this is just crazy. It's bad enough we're dealing with Mutant X."

"Shut up, Tuck." Carmen had grown tired of his complaining ever since they left the faculty.

"Why are we doing this, Chris? I mean we can do this on our own," Tuck continued his rant. "I'm not comfortable this whole deal man. What the hell are we doing allying ourselves with this Napier and his gang of suits?"

"We need the money, Tuck." Malone interrupted. He took the piece out of his pocket and studied it.

"We are so above this, Chris. I mean the whole damn thing is shady," Tuck lit a cigarette, sweating from the sweltering heat.

"Look I don't like it anymore than you do, but we don't have much of a choice. If we back out now, we're as good as dead," Malone turned to Tuck. "This is our best chance to find the Eye. Now these guys are paying us big money. Napier's orders are to follow our friends and make our move when the time is right. Now go do your thing."

With that said, Tuck left the car.

_Inside…_

"Adam! We maybe onto something," Willow and Shalimar ran up to Adam and Emma.

"What do you got?" Adam turned to them.

"It's very clever. The piece might act like some kind of cryptoquote. On the piece, they look like random symbols, but I think there's a key to taking the words to form a sentence revealing the location of the second piece," Willow's eyes went wide.

"That's a bit of a leap," Adam looked at her.

"An educated guess? But I think it's our best bet. I mean ancient Egyptians were renowned for their riddles and puzzles," Willow just shrugged. "I think we should go back to the Temple of Osiris. I think the key maybe there."

"Well let's head to the Helix then," They were about to leave went when Adam stopped. "Emma?"

Emma looked like she was off in a different world. Adam approached her. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but I get a sense we're being watched," Emma glanced around.

_Outside the museum…_

Tuck returned to the vehicle, "They know something."

"What are they doing?" Carmen looked at Malone and then Tuck.

"I think they heading to the Temple. They have a powerful empath working with them," Tuck shook his head. "I think she could sense my presence. Look man, let's just forget this whole thing. We might be in over our heads."

"There's no turning back now," Malone replied. "I call Napier."

_The Helix…_

"Jesse, have you been able to find out anything from the security footage?" Adam came into the Helix followed by the others.

"Well, using the limited footage we had, I was able to isolate one of the images. I put the image through the database and found a match," Jesse brought up a holographic image. "Christopher Malone, seasoned telekinetic. He was a graduate of the University of Boston, majored in Archeology. He started a group called the Society of the Osiris. According to this, the society is dedicated to finding and preserving Egyptian artifacts. Upon his graduation, he made the proposal to the Board of Directors about the society. Initially, he was issued a substantial grant, but the funds were cut off when Malone failed to produce results. The funders pulled out as well as several members of the society."

"I've heard of this group. Any information other current members?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, currently there are two listed. Carmen Dail, also graduate of the University of Boston Archeology. She's not listed in the new mutant database, but I found something on their partner Tuck Raymond. He's a molecular-psionic combination. Phasing telecyber to be exact," Jesse turned to Adam with a look of surprise.

"That's a rare combination," Brennen looked at his picture.

"Extremely rare, in fact I'm sure he's the only one of his kind," Adam scratched his head. "Probably a product of the GSA, I'm sure."

"Well, whatever the case, it could explain how they got past the security. Chances are they didn't need any help on the inside. He probably used his telecyber powers to knock out the security system, then phased through the laser alarm to get the piece," Jesse explained. "They knew exactly were to go and how to get passed security."

"It's hard to believe that a bunch of archeologists would break into a museum to steal an artifact," Emma shook her head.

"It depends how desperate they are. Also they could've been employed by someone to do it," Adam responded.

"You think someone is buying their services?" Brennen asked.

"I think so, but until we know more, I think we should concentrate on finding the eye before they do. Alright, now it's Willow's suggestion that we go to Abydos to maybe find some clue to deciphering the piece. Now Emma and Jesse, you're gonna stay here to find out anything you can about these guys and who they might be working for."

"Right," Jesse and Emma exited the Helix.

They looked on as the Helix took off towards its destination.

_Outside the museum…_

"So what's the word?" Tuck asked eager to be kept in the loop.

"Napier wants you to take the piece back to the faculty. Carmen and I are gonna remain here," Chris responded.

"Alright," Tuck left the two of them.

Carmen turned to him, "What's going on Chris?"

"Napier's got a plan, unfortunately, he won't tell me what it is," Chris sighed in frustration.

"You know maybe Tuck was right. This thing seems to be getting worse all the time," Carmen shook her head. "I don't know. I can't trust Napier. It's almost like we're slowly being phased out of this operation."

Chris just nodded and turned to her. "Well, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen."

_Inside…_

Alex was supervising the repairs to the security system when Emma and Jesse walked in.

"Hello, I though you guys had left with Adam," he looked at them curiously.

"Adam wanted us to stay behind to find out what we can about a Chris Malone. You ever heard of him?" Jesse inquired.

"You mean Christopher Malone?" Alex had a look of surprise on his face. "I know of him."

"Can you tell us what you know?" Emma asked.

"He was a pupil of one of my associates at the University of Boston. He was an exceptional student. He's been at a few museum fundraisers in the past. Last I heard, he was a teacher's assistant at the Faculty of Archeology, trying to raise funds for one of his pet projects." Alex realized where this was heading. "My god, you think he was the one who took the piece?"

Jesse nodded. "We managed to isolate one of the figures in the security footage before it was knocked out. He was one of them."

Alex just shook his head. "I have to say I'm stunned. I never had Christopher figured as a thief. The few times I met him, I thought he seemed like a sturdy young man."

"Excuse me, Mr. DePaulo? You have a phone call," his secretary interrupted.

"Well, if you'll excuse me. Thank you for everything your doing. It's god sent," Alex smiled as he left.

Jesse turned to Emma, "What do you say we pay a visit to the Faculty of Archeology."

"I'd say that's a good idea," Emma smiled as they both turned to leave the museum.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Searching For Answers

Chapter 4 

Searching for Answers

_The Helix…_

"Alright, we should arrive in Abydos in a few minutes," Brennen continued to steer.

"I'm pretty sure what we're looking for is there," Willow was sure of her hunch.

"And how are we gonna be able to find this thing?" Shalimar looked at Willow.

"Well if this is anything similar, we'll probably be looking for some kind of tablet with similar hieroglyphs on it. I'm pretty sure this thing will be bigger than the actual piece," Willow studied the picture.

"All this from a hunch?" Brennen asked.

"It's an educated guess. A guess Shalimar inspired," She turned to Shalimar and smiled who in turn smiled back.

_The Faculty of Archeology…_

Jesse and Emma approached the front desk. A very petite woman sat behind the desk, busy working on some papers. Her attentions immediately turned to them. "May I help you?"

"Uh yeah, we'd like to speak to the Dean or anyone available if possible," Emma told her.

The secretary carefully scrutinized them, "The Dean is very busy. May I ask what this in regards to?"

"We're part of the investigation of the robbery of the Museum of Epypt that occurred a few days back and we were wondering if we might be able to ask the Dean a couple of questions," Jesse stepped in.

"Just a moment. I'll see if he's available," the secretary picked up the phone. "Hello, Mr. Mushin. Yes I have some people here to see you about the museum. Alright." She hung up the phone and looked at them. "The Dean will see you."

"Thank you," Jesse smiled as the secretary got up to usher them into his office.

"Ah, hello, I understand you guys are working with Alex DePaulo. I heard there was a very elaborate piece stolen from the museum. I'm Carlo Mushin, Dean of this faculty," Mr. Mushin extended his hand towards Emma and Jesse, who accepted. "Alex phoned and informed me of your visit and told me to assist you in anyway possible."

"Thank you, we appreciate any help you can give us," Emma gave a courteous smile.

"Please have a seat," Mr. Mushin motioned towards the chairs, in which Emma and Jesse both sat down.

"We want to ask you about one of your staff, Christopher Malone," Jesse started off.

"Ah yes, Christopher. A very intelligent young man. Had a lot of promise. Unfortunately, he's not on my staff anymore. He quit about a month ago. Too bad really, he was very popular among the student body." Mushin looked at them both. "Why do you wish to know?"

"Well we have reason to believe he was involved in the robbery," Emma responded.

"Dear god. Chris, what could you have been thinking?" Mushin shook his head.

"Did he mention anything to you or any of your staff about his extra-circular activities?" Jesse inquired.

"No he kept his private life a secret." Mushin paused for a moment. "There are some of his files left in storage. We packed them up after he left. For some strange reason he didn't take them when he left. Feel free to go through them if you wish."

"Thanks, I think we will," Emma and Jesse both got up and shook hands with the Dean.

"I don't know if that's any help to you, but if there's anything else I can help you with please don't hesitate to ask," Mushin smiled.

"Thank you," Jesse said as they left the office.

"I got a strange hit off of him," Emma looked at Jesse.

"What did you get?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know. I felt as if he was holding something back," Emma shrugged.

"Well, maybe there's some kind of policy that prevents him from giving out certain information about staff. I mean after all we not cops," Jesse scratched his head.

"Yeah maybe," Emma responded, still unsure.

_The Temple of Osiris…_

The sun was setting behind the temple leaving a beautiful color of red and pink in the sky. Although the heat had gone down considerably, it was still sweltering. They cautiously entered the temple, completely unsure of where to go next.

Brennen just shrugged, "If you were the key to the most dangerous weapon ever known, where would you hide?"

Adam surveyed a small statue, "Well, somewhere safe. Perhaps under a statue or in a secret crypt. It's almost certain that those who hid the pieces probably buried it near a statue or representation of a god in the hopes of receiving divine protection."

Willow stood in awe, taking in the sights of a place she'd long to have visited for years. She took a deep breath while studying the hieroglyphs that filled the walls of the structure. "I think the statue of Osiris would be the best place to start."

Shalimar impatiently stood in between two large pillars, anxious to get moving, "Great, any ideas where it is?"

"Alright, I'll go back to the Helix and use the guidance system to help you find the way," Adam pried himself away from the statue he was studying and glanced at them. "It's probably the best way to keep anyone from getting lost."

_The Faculty of Archeology…_

The office was still kept up, but had an emptiness about it. Emma and Jesse had spent several minutes going through what was left of Malone's files, feeling frustration at coming up empty.

"Well this was a waste of time," Jesse huffed, throwing down several papers, successfully conveying his frustration.

"It was worth a try. Didn't think we'd find anything here anyway," Emma stood up stretching, feeling a bit tense. Her concentration suddenly turned elsewhere when she sensed a strangely familiar presence approaching. "Jesse, someone's coming."

Jesse turned to her, feeling there was no need to panic. "What should we do? We have the Dean's permission to be here."

"I know, but I've felt this before," a light went off in Emma's head as she made a connection. "I felt it at the museum when we were being watched."

Jesse got up and ushered Emma towards a closet. "Alright let's go. Know enough about your powers to be cautious."

He tugged on the door handle but had little success since it was strangely locked. He turned to Emma and putting his hand on the door while taking a deep breath. The door phased as Emma quickly passed through followed by Jesse.

Emma's eye quickly adjusted to the darkness when she released what they were in wasn't a closet. Jesse stood beside her and glanced ahead to see that there was a staircase just to the left of them.

"What the hell is this?" Jesse cautiously stepped forward when they heard the door to office open and a pair of heavy footsteps quickly heading in their direction. He grabbed Emma's hand and ran down the stairs into to find themselves in a large dark room. Hint of the sunset could be seen beaming through cracks of sealed windows.

They hid behind a bunch of disorganized boxes, when the door to room opened. Taking short breaths, they remained quiet in the hopes of not being discovered.

A stocky man with dark skin walked down the stairs and turned on one of the lamps to illuminate the dark room slightly. He put down a small stone on top of a table and sat down with a bag of take-out food and rummaged through it pulling out a small package.

Emma shifted a bit to find more comfort when she unconsciously knocked over a piece of glass that shattered upon the ground.

Swiftly the man stood up from his chair, startled by the noise, concluding that he wasn't alone in the room. He wandered towards boxes, his back stiffening as he tensed for action. "Who's there? You might as well come out, I know you're there."

Both Emma and Jesse remained still, waiting for the approaching form. Jesse looked at Emma as they continued to listen to his footsteps to determine how close he was. With a sudden burst of energy, Jesse jumped out from behind the boxes and grabbed for the figure.

Seeing Jesse leaping at him, he quickly phased allowing Jesse to fly through him. The man turned towards the object on the table and frantically broke into a run towards it. Realizing why they were there, he knew his only chance was to grab the object and make a quick exit.

Emma stood up abruptly and blocked his path to the table, firing a psychic blast at him. He immediately lost consciousness and fell towards the floor. "Well I think we might have found something Jess."

Jesse stood up behind grabbing the object from the table and glanced at it. Recognizing it almost immediately, he smiled at Emma, "Oh yeah I think most definitely. Think our friends back at the museum might want to see this."

Emma smiled and nodded, "Great, you get the fun part." She glanced down at the still form on the ground.

_The Temple of Osiris…_

The air got progressively stale as three forms made their way further into the dark catacombs of the temple. Brennen used his sleeve to wipe the perspiration from his forehead as glanced back at the girls. His flashlight breaking the darkness of the halls, which seemed to go on forever.

"Alright, Adam, which way now?" Brennen waited patiently for a response, as Shalimar and Willow stood at either side of him.

"About twenty meters to your left, the entrance to the crypt should be there," Adam's voice echoed through the catacombs, breaking the silence in the air.

They proceeded in the direction Adam instructed them to follow. He held the flashlight at the entrance of the room in question as Shalimar and Willow cautiously stepped in. Brennen continued to flicker the light around the room in order to illuminate the path for them. "I'll watch your back."

Willow used her feral vision to see the areas the light could not reach and spotted a small statue of Osiris in the corner of the room. She walked towards it, with Shalimar closely behind her.

Kneeling down at the side of the statue, she glanced at the bottom of the statue, wondering what to do next, "Well Adam, we're in the crypt. What's our next move?"

"A very cautious one. The Egyptians were renowned for their booby traps, to prevent thieves from doing what we're attempting," Adam glanced at the map before him, not really sure how to proceed.

Shalimar looked at the bottom of the statue a noticed a small crack at the bottom. "Hey Willie, what about that?"

Willow glanced down at what Shalimar was looking at fingered the sand surrounding the crack. "It's worth shot. Help me."

Together, they began to dig around the statue with their hands. Several minutes, later they found a stone object protruding from the ground. Willow pulled it up from the ground and blew the sand off of it. She read the inscription on the stone and smiled. "Think we found it Adam."

Adam sighed and glanced at his watch. "That was almost too easy."

Willow nodded and caressed the tablet, "I know. It's almost scary."

"Well let's not waste a minute in here," Shalimar grabbed Willows arm as they turned to leave the crypt.

Brennen stood at the entrance and smiled, "Maybe that was meant to be the easy part." He ushered them out of the crypt and they ventured back into the catacombs.

End of Chapter 4

Sorry for the long delay guys, I've been pretty busy lately and have had little time for any creative indulgence. I promise you won't have to wait so long for the next chapter. Thanks for your patience.


	5. Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That…

Chapter 5 

Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That

_The Museum…_

It was not long after sunset that the Helix arrived back in Cairo. Everyone was somewhat exhausted since it had been a long day. They slowly made their way through the Museum entrance when Jesse greeted them.

"Adam, Emma and I checked out the Faculty and found something interesting."

"What's going on there?" Adam asked stretching a little.

"Well we where looking through Malone's office, checking through the files that he left behind after he quit. We were just about to leave when Emma sensed someone approaching the room. We hid in the closet, but here's the kicker, it wasn't a closet. It looked like a secret warehouse or research lab."

"Sounds like things aren't all what they seem," Adam surmised.

"Well that's not all. Someone came into the room while we were down there. So Emma hit him with a psionic blast and we brought him back with us. He's been out like a light ever since," Jesse stifled a yawn and made a half smile at the others. "Looks like you guys have been busy."

"Yeah, we found the key. Now all we have to do is recognize the pattern on the key and match it to the hieroglyphs on the first piece. Hopefully it'll have the clues to the location of the second piece on it," Willow showed Jesse the key enthusiastically, anxious to start the puzzle solving.

"First thing's first. Everyone should get some rest and we'll decipher the first piece in the morning," Adam turned to see the slightly exhausted looks on everyone's faces. "Before I turn in I'm gonna go check on our guest. Maybe we'll now be able to get some answers."

"Why don't I start deciphering the key now, I'm not sleepy. Besides, it'll be good for the brain," Willow smiled at Adam and the others for emphasis.

"Alright. Now the museum offered to set us up with a hotel, but I thought it would be better if we didn't stray too far from here. So Alex has set up some beds in the back labs. Hope that's okay with you guys," Adam looked at them all apologetically.

"Hey its not exactly five star, but I'm okay with that," Shalimar shrugged.

"Fine with me," Brennen replied.

"Me too," Jesse added.

"Hey I've slept in worse places," Willow joked.

_In the back…_

Emma had kept a silent watch on Tucker, who only in the last few minutes began to stir. Adam entered the room silently.

"How's our friend doing?"

"I think he's starting to come around. He's been out for a while, so I don't know how he's gonna be," Emma, like the others, was a little exhausted and anxious to turn in. She was grateful when Adam and the others returned, which meant it wouldn't be much longer.

"We're probably gonna have to take some extra precautions due to our friend's abilities. I'm gonna put a special suppressor to prevent him from using his telecyber abilities, all the while keeping him in a force field similar to the one back in Sanctuary," Adam attached a small device to Tucker's head.

"Kinda like a sub-dermal governor," Emma added.

"Sort of, but not as archaic," Adam then activated a force field around Tucker. "That should keep him from using his phasing abilities."

Just then Tucker's eyes shot open and he looked alarmingly at Adam and Emma. Realizing he'd been caught, he began to panic and tried to phase out of the room.

"Don't bother, this force field was specifically designed for individuals such as yourself," Adam then saw him try to disable the device. "Those devises on your head are preventing you from using your telecyber abilities. I designed them for that purpose."

"What the hell am I doing here?" Tucker was agitated, worrying about how mad Malone was gonna be when he found out he'd been caught.

"Hopefully to answer some questions. So you might as well get comfortable, cause you're not going anywhere."

"I have nothing to say to you guys," Tucker spoke in defiance.

"Oh I think you'll have plenty to say," Emma shot a psionic blast at him causing him to stumble a bit. "That's better."

"Who are you and your friends working for?" Adam asked noticing more cooperation in Tucker's face.

"I work for Christopher Malone. I have for the last few years. Some suit named Napier, bought our services to help him find a mystic stone," Tucker answered, somewhat dazed from the blast.

"The eye. What do you know about the eye?" Emma asked.

"Only that it exists."

"Did this Napier ever mention to you who he was working for or who he answered to?" Adam had an answer in his mind, but kept it to himself, waiting for Tucker to confirm his suspicions.

"No, we only wanted the money, no questions asked," Tucker was groggy but fought it. "Probably another group of suits."

"Did he ever reveal to you or your associates what he intended to do once he found the eye?" Adam decided to press further, thinking there was more than what he was telling.

"Like I said before no questions asked. We just do our job and get paid," Tucker answered.

Emma pulled Adam aside, "Something doesn't make sense. Why would Malone part with something he feels so passionate about?"

"My guess is he was gonna use the money they received to find the eye and then make off with it when he found it," Adam was slowly starting to put the pieces together, but there was something still eating at him.

"So you think Malone has no intentions on turning it over," Emma didn't need her powers to know what Adam was thinking then. "You think the GSA's behind this?"

"Well anything's possible. This artifact is definitely worth so much, that it wouldn't surprise me that the GSA would want to get their hands on it, powers or no," Adam shook the thought and then turned to her, "Why don't you get some sleep. It's gonna be a busy day tomorrow."

"What about him?" Emma turned to Tucker, sensing his defeat.

"Don't worry he's not going anywhere. Besides the guards will keep an eye on him and alert us if he starts any trouble." Sensing Adams confidence, Emma nodded as they both left the room.

_Several hours later…_

Shalimar stirred from her slumber. She sat up in the bed and glanced at Brennen, who was peacefully sleeping beside her. She slowly rose from the bed, careful to not wake Brennen and left the room.

The cold floor made her feet tingle, but she ignored it as she stormed the silent halls of the Museum. She came to the door of the lab and quietly entered to see a slumbering Willow lying with her head down on the table. Shalimar smiled and shook her head as she walked towards the quite form. She carefully lifted Willow into her arms and carried her into a room across the hall. Willow shifted in her sleep slightly as Shalimar set her down on a cot and pulled a blanket over her.

Shalimar just sat there and stared at her. They had come a long way in the past few months.

She had witnessed Willow go from lost and confused, to a confident young teenager bursting with enthusiasm and a new lease on life. This little scamp had tended to be a royal pain in the ass, but at the same time, managed steal her heart. She sighed inwardly, grateful for the second chance she had been given.

She silently cursed her father and Eckhart for robbing her of her baby sister for so long. What made it worse was what Willow was subjected to while in the custody of the GSA. Knowing what they had done to Willow made her skin crawl. Injecting a baby with an experimental drug was enough to make her want to begin a personal crusade. No one would miss Eckhart or the GSA and the satisfaction of the idea made it a worthwhile thought. She shook it off decided to focus on the now and the young girl who had come to mean so much to her.

She gave Willow a gentle kiss on the forehead and silently got up. Making her way to the door, she glanced back at her and turned out the light, leaving her to dream of the adventures they were gonna embark on come tomorrow.

_Early that morning…_

Willow had been the first one awake that morning. She had been frustrated at falling asleep but had decided not to stress about it. She had succeeded in translating the hieroglyphs on the key. Easy as pie. Now the trick was to matching the symbols on the first piece to the key, which was covered from top to bottom in them. The trick was arranging the words in the correct order according to the inscriptions on the key. What she had believed to be a walk in the park was shaping up to be a pain in the ass.

"Good morning. How's the riddler?" Adam asked as he entered the room.

"Adam, I know I'm so close, but there seems to be a word missing," Willow leaned back in her chair and stretched, causing her neck to crack.

"Well what do you have so far?" Adam sat next to her and glanced at the paper she was writing on, noting the considerable number of scribbles.

"See for yourself. I've managed to come up with this so far; Across the dessert to the south, upon a lonely body where the resting-place of the blank resides. That's pretty vague. I don't know if I did something wrong. I'm just basically going on hunches and educated guesses here."

"It's better than nothing." Adam studied the paper carefully and then turned his attention to the key. "Maybe we should use the Helix's computer."

"Aw but where's the fun in that?" Willow shrugged. "It takes away the satisfaction of solving the clues without the aid of technology. I have to hand it to the Egyptians, they were the best."

Adam broke his attention way from the piece he was fumbling with in his hands. Just then the others strolled into the room, anxious to get moving.

"Morning guys. Sleep well?" Willow asked.

"Like a rock. Man those cots were comfortable," Brennen yawned and stretched a little.

"What are you guys up to?" Shalimar asked.

"Willow was just explaining to me the progress she'd made in the translations," Adam smiled, still concentrating a good portion of his attention on the piece in his hand. A particular dent in the stone had sparked his interest. "She's hit a bit of a snag, so I'm gonna throw my two cents in."

"I'm so close, I can taste it," She handed her notepad to Brennen. They both studied it carefully with confusion.

"So what does it mean?" Shalimar looked at Adam, then Willow.

"Until I find out what that last word is, which I can't find on the piece anywhere, I have no clue," Willow shook her head. "But hey, you wanna hear what else I found on the key while I was translating?"

Adam broke his concentration from the piece and looked up at Willow.

"Well according to this tablet, the pieces are called Talisman. Suppose it beats calling it a piece, now at least we have a name." She glanced at the stone in her hand and turned serious. "I also found another riddle hidden on the bottom part of the key. It's separated from the others. It says; Only one who possesses Earth, Air, Fire and Water may enter the sun," Willow pointed out riddle on the stone and looked up as Jesse came bumbling in, sleep still fresh in his eyes.

"Who knows what it means. I bet we'll find out soon enough," Brennen unconsciously put his hand on Shalimar's back, rubbing gentle circles on the area in question.

"Well we'll worry about that later, for now let's just concentrate on finding the pieces," Adam resumed his studying of the piece. "Willow did you notice this dent here?"

"Yeah what about it? I just assumed it was from wear, so I paid no attention to it. Why?" Willow looked at Adam.

"First rule of Science, never rule anything out. My instincts are telling me this is worth checking out."

_The Helix…_

Everyone had made their way to the Helix. Tucker was obligated to join them since Adam wasn't taking any chances with him. They all stood around a holographic image while the computer analyzed the Talisman.

"I knew it. It's another clue. Willow you recognize this symbol?" Adam smiled glancing on the image projected. He knew what it was, but he wanted Willow to identify it.

Suddenly the lights came on and a small grin formed around her mouth. "Yes, it makes sense now. Across the dessert to the south, upon a lonely body where the resting place of the Queen of queens resides."

"Who is it? Cleopatra, Nefratiti?" Emma looked towards Adam.

Willow shook her head, "No it's Isis, Osiris' queen. She ruled the underworld with him. She's the Queen of queens. Lonely body must mean an island. The island of Philae is where her temple is."

"And that's where we're heading."

With that the Helix lifted off.

End of Chapter 5

That one took a bit longer than I anticipated. Thanks for your patience and keep reading.


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